Souther Pecan White Sheet Cake

If you like a truly moist, vanilla cake, you will love this recipe.


I just had to show my tree peonies while they were blooming.


It never fails that they bloom and with in a day the rains arrive.


And the peonies wilt like wet tissue paper.


This recipe uses vanilla bean seeds. If you don't have them, add extra vanilla extract but it is much better if you use the beans. You slice the beans in half and scrape the seeds out. For the cake, I used 2 beans. Put them in the bowl of your mixer.


Add 1 tsp. of vanilla extract.


Melt 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of water until butter melts. Set aside to cool a bit.


Add 1/2 cup of sour cream to the vanilla and beat this until mixed well.


Add 2 cups of sugar.



Beat until smooth.


Measure 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of baking soda. Mix to combine.


Mix 2 eggs into the water and butter mix and gradually add this to the sour cream mix in the bowl.


Beat in the flour mixture until you have a smooth batter.


Pour it into a greased and parchment lined 9 X 13 pan. Bake it at 375 degrees until it is done in the middle. It takes about 30 minutes.


While it is baking, make the icing/glaze. Mix 1 cup of softened butter, 1/4 cup of milk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, the seeds from 1 scraped vanilla bean with a 16 oz. package of confectioners sugar.


When you remove the cake from the oven, gently press pecan halves onto the top of the cake to cover the entire surface.


While the cake is still warm, spread half of the icing over the pecans.


Once the cake cools, spread the remaining icing over the top. I like to keep this in the refrigerator

This is the best vanilla cake I make. It flies out of here every time I make it.

Comments

Diane said…
Yum yum. Diane
brokenteepee said…
Mmmm, sounds yummy!
wow that looks so good. i LOVE sour cream in a cake...and i love the pecans pressed in whole covered by the glaze....adding it to the list....

kary and l'il teddy
Anonymous said…
Beautiful tree peonies! Only one of mine will flower this year, it has loads of buds but it seems only one will become a flower. The last snow was to much I´m afraid.

That cake looks delicious! Must do it but I wonder if I can find pecan halves here? Well I´ll have to try walnuts instead then I´m afraid.

Have a great day now!
Christer.
I wish that cake was flying in my back door right now. With all that butter how could this not be the most wonderful cake in the world. I will be making this very soon.
Judy said…
Hi, How do you keep the pecans from rolling into the icing when you spread the icing? I've always had a ball of icing and nuts form on the spatula when I've tried similar cake toppings. Thx.
Anonymous said…
my oh my,, that is some good looking cake,,I'm sorry but you are partly to blame for my not losing any winter blubber before summer,, everytime I come here I leave hungry,,, but in a good way,, please don't stop,, whats a few pounds between friends.the extra weight is probably a good thing,, I might have more wrinkles if I was skinny!
jaz@octoberfarm said…
hi judy...i should have mentioned this in the recipe. when you put the first half of the icing on the warm cake, you let the glops of icing sit there for a minute or so until it starts to melt. then it is very easy to spread across the pecans.
This sounds "tongue slap mouth good"! I'll give this a try tomorrow!

Thanks!

xoxo to "The Queen Herself - Teddy". : )
Robin Larkspur said…
Wow, this cake looks entirely too amazing to resist. Resistance is futile at OctoberFarm! Your tree peonies are beautiful, sorry about the rain. Maybe more will bloom?
Joyce this just has the feeling of a really special recipie.
homey too.
xx
julie
"It flies out of here every time I make it." I wish a piece would fly right into my mouth.
~ Jayne ~ said…
I'm not partial to pecans but the method by which you crafted this cake is very clever.I'd like to try it with black walnuts in the Autumn.
Sharon Lovejoy said…
Uh oh, this is being printed as I write. This looks so simple and comforting. I am going to make it for my writer's group get together. They'll love it.

The layer of pecans, the vanilla beans, it is all beyond the ken.

Love,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island
Anonymous said…
I am such a fan of cake. This one sounds great!

Teresa
I'm not familiar with a tree peony - thanks for showing this lovely tree/bush! Hope the blossoms last for you.

Drooling over this cake...
petoskystone said…
glorious! & lovely peonies, to boot :)
SharleneT said…
Definitely a keeper. Will bring to next family get-together. And, I'm starting to think the food police should be told about all this butter you use -- and, then, force us (that's right, strong-arm!) to enjoy! There oughta be a law BUT I'm so glad there ain't. Keep these luscious things coming.